Enter Maria.

Mar. Madam, there is at the gate a young Gentleman, much defires to fpeak with you.

Oli. From the Count Orfino, is it?

Mar. I know not, Madam, 'tis a fair young Man, and well attended.

Oli. Who of my people hold him in delay?

Mar. Sir Toby, Madam, your Uncle.

Oli, Fetch him off, I pray you, he speaks nothing but madman: fie on him! Go you, Malvolio; if it be a fuit from the Count, I am fick, or not at home: What you will, to difmifs it. [Exit Malvolio.] Now you fee, Sir, how your fooling grows old, and people diflike it.

Clo. Thou haft fpoke for us, Madona, as if thy eldest Son should be a fool: whofe fcull Jove cram with brains, for here comes one of thy Kin has a moft weak Pia Mater!

Oli. By mine honour, half drunk. What is he at the gate, Uncle?

Sir To. A Gentleman.

Oli. A Gentleman? what Gentleman?

I

Sir To. 'Tis a Gentleman here.A plague o' these pickle herring! how now, fot?

however, than the laft Editor's, who, when this emendation was pointed out to him, would make one of his own; and fo in his Oxford edition, reads, with LEARNING; without troubling himself to fatisfy the reader how the firft editor fhould blunder in a word fo eafy to be understood

Clo.

as learning, tho' they well might in the word pleafing, as it is ufed in this place. WARBURTON.

I think the prefent reading more humourous. May Mercury teach thee to lye, fince that lieft in favour of fools.

'Tis a gentleman. HERE,-] He had before said it was a gentleman.

Clo. Good Sir Toby,

Oli. Uncle, Uncle, how have you come fo early by this lethargy?

Sir To. Letchery! I defie letchery: there's one at the gate.

Oli. Ay, marry, what is he?

Sir To. Let him be the devil and he will, I care not give me faith, fay I. Well, it's all one. [Exit. Oli. What's a drunken man like, fool?

Clo. Like a drown'd man, a fool, and a madman: one draught above heat makes him a fool; the fecond mads him; and a third drowns him.

Oli. Go thou and feek the Coroner, and let him fit o' my Uncle; for he's in the third degree of drink; he's drown'd; go look after him.

Clo. He is but mad yet, Madona, and the fool fhall look to the madman. [Exit Clown.

Enter Malvolio.

Mal. Madam, yond young Fellow fwears he will speak with you. I told him, you were fick; he takes on him to understand so much, and therefore comes to speak with you. I told him you were afleep; he feems to have a fore-knowledge of that too, and therefore comes to speak with you. What is to be faid to him, Lady? he's fortified against any denial.

Oli. Tell him, he fhall not speak with me.

Mal. He has been told fo; and he fays, he'll ftand at your door like a Sheriff's poft, and be the fupporter to a bench, but he'll speak with you.

Oli.

Oli. What kind o'man is he?

Mal. Why, of mankind.

Oli. What manner of man.

Mal. Of very ill manners; he'll speak with you, will you or no.

Oli. Of what perfonage and years is he?

Mal. Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; as a squash is before 'tis a peafcod, or a codling when it is almost an apple: 'tis with him in ftanding water, between boy and man. He is very well-favour'd, and he speaks very fhrewithly; one would think, his mother's milk were scarce out of him. Oli. Let him approach: call in my Gentlewoman. Mal. Gentlewoman, my Lady calls. [Exit.

SCENE IX.

Enter Maria.

Oli. Give me my veil: come, throw it o'er my face; We'll once more hear Orfino's embaffy.

Enter Viola.

Vio. The honourable Lady of the house, which is fhe?

Oli. Speak to me, I fhall anfwer for her: your will?

Vio. Moft radiant, exquifite, and unmatchable Beauty--I pray you, tell me, if this be the Lady of the house, for I never faw her. I would be loth to

caft away my speech; for, befides that it is excellently well penn'd, I have taken great pains to con it. Good Beauties, let me fuftain no fcorn 3; I am very comptible, even to the leaft finifter ufage.

Oli. Whence came you, Sir?

Vio. I can fay little more than I have ftudied, and that Queftion's out of my Part. Good gentle One, give me modeft affurance, if you be the Lady of the houfe, that I may proceed in my fpeech.

Oli. Are you a Comedian?

Vio. No, my profound heart; and yet, by the very fangs of malice, I fwear, I am not that I play. Are you the Lady of the house?

Oli. If I do not ufurp myself, I am.

Vio. Moft certain, if you are fhe, you do ufurp yourfelf; for what is yours to beftow, is not yours to referve; but this is from my Commiffion. I will on with my fpeech in your praise, and then fhew you the heart of my meffage.

Oli. Come to what is important in't: I forgive you the praife.

Vio. Alas, I took great pains to study it, and 'tis poetical.

Oli. It is the more like to be feign'd. I pray you, keep it in. I heard you were fawcy at my gates; and I allow'd your approach, rather to wonder at you than to hear you. If you be not mad, be gone; if you have reafon, be brief: 'tis not that time of the moon with me, to make one in fo* fkipping a dialogue.

Mar. Will you hoift fail, Sir? here lies your way. Vio. No, good fwabber, I am to hull here a little longer. Some mollification for your Giant, fweet Lady.

Bb2

3 I am very comptible,] Comptible for ready to call to acWARBURTON. Shipping] Wild,

count.

frolick, mad,

4

Oli.

4 Ladies, in romance, are guarded by giants, who repel all improper or troublelome ad

vances.

1

5 Oli. Tell me your mind.

Vio. I am a meffenger.

Oli. Sure you have some hideous matter to deliver, when the courtefie of it is fo fearful. Speak your office.

Vio. It alone concerns your ear. I bring no overture of war, no taxation of homage; I hold the olive in my hand: my words are as full of peace as matter. Oli. Yet you began rudely. What are you? what would you?

Vio. The rudenefs, that hath appear'd in me, have I learn'd from my entertainment. What I am, and what I would, are as fecret as maiden-head; to your ears, divinity; to any other's, prophanation.

Oli. Give us the place alone. [Exit Maria.] We will hear this divinity. Now, Sir, what is your text? Vio. Moft fweet Lady,

Oli. A comfortable Doctrine, and much may be faid of it. Where lies your text?

1

Vio. In Orfino's bofom.

Oli. In his bofom? in what chapter of his bofom? Vio. To answer by the method, in the firft of his heart.

Oli. O, I have read it; it is herefy. Have you no more to fay?

Vio. Good Madam, let me fee your face.

Oli. Have you any commiffion from your Lord to negotiate with my face? you are now out of your text; but we will draw the curtain, and fhew you the picture.

vances. Viola, feeing the waiting-maid fo eager to oppofe her meffage, intreats Olivia to pacify her giant.

s Vio.tell me your mind, I am a messenger.] These words must be divided between the two speakers thus,

Oli. Tell me your mind.
Vio. I am a messenger.

Viola growing troublesome, Olivia would difmifs her, and therefore cuts her fhort with this com mand, Tell me your mind. The other taking advantage of the ambiguity of the word mind, which fignifies either bufines of inclinations, replies, as if the had ufed it in the latter fenfe, I am a meffenger. WARBURTON. Look